Alma 36:2 -- On the Context of God

"I would that ye should do as I have done, in remembering the captivity of our fathers; for they were in bondage, and none could deliver them except it was the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and he surely did deliver them in their afflictions."
Alma 36:2


Sometimes I think we forget the larger context of our lives, getting caught up in only what is in front of us, and not seeing how our immediate reality fits together with everything else. That's one of the reasons for the scriptures, because they have "enlarged the memory of this people" (Alma 37:8), and will continue to do so, if we pay heed to them.

Remembering the stories, of captivity, of hardship, of faith, of triumph--all of these help us realize that there is precedent for hope and faith, even in the worst circumstances.  They help us remember that we are not alone, that God listens to and delivers his people, that he loves us and makes a way for us if we are careful to walk in it as he instructs.

Today, let's remember the captivity of our fathers, and the power and deliverance of our God, who is able help us out of our afflictions just as he delivered them.  Let's read and enlarge our memories and put our lives in the context of God.